The “sun tax” is not a tax. It is a network charge, called two-way pricing, that some distributors apply to solar exported at midday above a free allowance. As at November 2026 it is 1.23c/kWh on Ausgrid, 1c/kWh on SA Power Networks and 1.86c/kWh (excluding GST) on Endeavour Energy’s optional tariff. In our calculation it costs a 6.6 kW system about A$5 to A$17 a year and a 10 kW system about A$31 to A$64.
Key facts
- Ausgrid charges retailers 1.23c/kWh for exports between 10am and 3pm above a free allowance of 200 kWh a month, and pays 3.85c/kWh for exports between 4pm and 9pm, according to its two-way solar pricing page checked in November 2026.
- SA Power Networks has charged retailers 1c/kWh for exports between 10am and 4pm above 9 kWh a day on smart meters since 1 July 2025, and estimates about A$1.50 a month for an average residential customer.
- Endeavour Energy’s Network Price List 2026-27 sets its optional Prosumer tariff (N61) export charge at 1.86c/kWh excluding GST above 730 kWh a quarter, with exports rewarded at up to 11.7131c/kWh.
- The charge is billed to your retailer, not to you, and retailers decide whether and how to pass it on.
- In the Solar Cobber calculation below, a 10 kW system exporting 17.4 kWh a day in the charge window pays about A$47 a year on Ausgrid, A$64 on Endeavour Energy and A$31 on SA Power Networks.
Source: Ausgrid and SA Power Networks websites, checked November 2026.
What is the sun tax and is it a real tax?
It is a network tariff, not a government tax. Two-way pricing means a distributor (the poles-and-wires company) prices electricity going into the grid as well as coming out. It typically charges a small amount for exports when many homes export at once, around midday, and pays a reward for exports in the evening, when the grid needs power.
Distributors argue that midday exports can overload local networks. Ausgrid says it passes its prices to retailers, and that retailers choose how to bundle them into offers and may change the values, so bills can differ from the network’s own prices.
Which networks charge for solar exports in 2026-27?
Three networks we opened publish a residential export charge: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and SA Power Networks. The table shows each tariff as read from the network’s own page or price list in November 2026.
| Network | Charge | Window | Free allowance | Reward | Who is on it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 1.23c/kWh | 10am to 3pm | 200 kWh a month (192 to 212 by month length) | 3.85c/kWh, 4pm to 9pm | New and existing residential and small business customers; opt-in from July 2024, applied to all since July 2025 |
| Endeavour Energy (N61 Prosumer) | 1.86c/kWh excluding GST | 10am to 2pm (solar soak) | 730 kWh a quarter (2,920 a year) | 11.7131c/kWh November to March, 3.4702c/kWh April to October, business days 4pm to 8pm | Optional secondary tariff alongside a time-of-use or demand tariff |
| SA Power Networks | 1c/kWh (0.75c on older accumulation meters) | 10am to 4pm on smart meters | 9 kWh a day (11 kWh on accumulation meters) | 12 to 13c/kWh, 5pm to 9pm, November to March, on the Electrify tariff (RESELE) only | Residential and small business inverters up to 30 kW AC from 1 July 2025 |
Sources: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy Network Price List 2026-27 (published 28 April 2026, prices effective 1 July 2026) and SA Power Networks.
Essential Energy also has a two-way tariff in New South Wales, but its page blocked automated access and we could not open its 2026-27 price list, so we give no rates for it. Queensland, Victoria and the other states were not checked network by network; see our Queensland and Victoria guides for what is known.
Ausgrid’s page gives a worked example: a home that exports 300 kWh in the charge window in a month pays for the 100 kWh above the 200 kWh allowance, so 100 kWh at 1.23c is A$1.23.
Source: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and SA Power Networks, November 2026. Solar Cobber calculation: Ausgrid 2,496 kWh a year (sum of its monthly thresholds) divided by 365; Endeavour 2,920 divided by 365.
View the data as a table
| Free export a day | |
|---|---|
| Ausgrid | 6.8 kWh |
| Endeavour | 8.0 kWh |
| SA Power Net. | 9.0 kWh |
SA Power Networks gives the biggest free allowance (9 kWh a day) and Ausgrid the smallest (about 6.8 kWh a day).
How much does the sun tax cost a 6.6 kW and a 10 kW system?
For a home that exports 10.4 kWh a day in the charge window (a 6.6 kW system) the yearly charge is about A$5 to A$17, and for a 10 kW system exporting 17.4 kWh a day it is about A$31 to A$64. These are Solar Cobber calculations with stated assumptions, not network or retailer quotes.
Solar Cobber calculation. The assumptions:
- Daily output per kW of 3.9 kWh, the Sydney figure in the Clean Energy Council’s 2011 consumer guide (the latest city table we could open): 6.6 kW gives 25.7 kWh a day and 10 kW gives 39.0 kWh a day.
- We assume 60% of output is generated inside the 10am to 3pm or 10am to 4pm window, and the home uses 5 kWh (6.6 kW home) or 6 kWh (10 kW home) in that window. That leaves exports of 25.7 x 0.6 - 5 = 10.4 kWh a day and 39.0 x 0.6 - 6 = 17.4 kWh a day. The 60% share and the self-use figures are our assumptions.
- The same export volume is applied to each network so the tariffs compare like for like. We spread exports evenly across the year; real exports are higher in summer and lower in winter, and monthly or quarterly allowances reset, so real bills for the same annual total can be a little higher.
- Ausgrid: (daily export x 365 - 2,496) x 1.23c. Endeavour Energy: (daily export x 365 - 2,920) x 1.86c, excluding GST. SA Power Networks: (daily export - 9) x 365 x 1c.
| System | Window exports a day | Ausgrid a year | Endeavour Energy a year (ex GST) | SA Power Networks a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 kW | 10.4 kWh | A$16 | A$17 | A$5 |
| 10 kW | 17.4 kWh | A$47 | A$64 | A$31 |
- 6.6 kW system
- 10 kW system
Source: Solar Cobber calculation from Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and SA Power Networks published tariffs, November 2026. Charges are rounded to the nearest dollar; assumptions are listed in the text.
View the data as a table
| 6.6 kW system | 10 kW system | |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | A$16 | A$47 |
| Endeavour | A$17 | A$64 |
| SA Power Net. | A$5 | A$31 |
A 10 kW system pays roughly three to four times as much as a 6.6 kW system, because the charge only applies to exports above the free allowance. SA Power Networks’ own estimates, for a different set of assumptions (medium self-use and exports), are A$19.42 a year for a 5 kW home and A$25.57 for a 10 kW home.
The charge is small against what the exports are worth. IPART’s all-day benchmark feed-in range for 2026-27 is 3.4 to 6.5c/kWh. At the low end, 17.4 kWh a day is about A$216 of exports a year, so A$47 is roughly a fifth of it.
- Midday charge
- Evening reward
Source: Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and SA Power Networks, November 2026. Endeavour Energy charge excludes GST. Rewards are paid to the retailer, which decides what reaches you.
View the data as a table
| Midday charge | Evening reward | |
|---|---|---|
| SA Power Networks | 1.00c | 12.00c |
| Endeavour Energy | 1.86c | 11.71c |
| Ausgrid | 1.23c | 3.85c |
Every network pays more for an evening export than it charges for a midday one, which is the signal to store solar for the evening.
Which retailers pass the export charge on?
Retailers set their own policy, and we could not verify a complete list. Ausgrid and SA Power Networks both say the charge goes to the retailer, which may absorb it, pass it through or bundle it into a feed-in rate. Ausgrid says retailers can change the charge and reward values, so your bill can differ from the table above.
Ask your retailer in writing whether the export charge is passed through, whether the evening reward is passed through and at what rate. Our NSW feed-in tariff guide, SA guide and the national feed-in tariff tracker compare retailer rates. Amber Electric and GloBird Energy have separate review pages.
How can I avoid the sun tax?
The charge only bites on exports above a free allowance inside a fixed window, so you avoid it by exporting less in that window or moving exports to the evening. Four options work, in rough order of cost.
- Shift loads into the window. Run the dishwasher, pool pump, hot water and air conditioning from 10am to 3pm. Each kWh you use in the window is a kWh you do not export. See peak and off-peak times.
- Stay under the free allowance. On SA Power Networks that is 9 kWh a day, and unused free export rolls over within the billing period.
- Add a battery. A battery that charges from midday solar removes most of the charge and lets you export in the evening. In our calculation a 10 kWh battery absorbing 10 kWh of window exports cuts the 10 kW system’s charge from A$47 to about A$3 on Ausgrid, and to zero on Endeavour Energy and SA Power Networks. The evening reward on Ausgrid could add up to A$112 a year if 8 kWh a day were exported at 3.85c (8 x 365 x 3.85c) and the retailer passed it through. See how much a battery costs, are batteries worth it and what size battery you need.
- Choose a different tariff or retailer. On Endeavour Energy the Prosumer tariff is optional, so check with your retailer before opting in. Retailers using wholesale or virtual power plant pricing handle exports differently; see what is a VPP.
Some states offer battery discounts that help here; see the federal battery rebate guide, NSW rebates and SA rebates.
How have feed-in tariffs changed?
NSW’s regulated benchmark has fallen from 6.9 to 8.4c/kWh in 2018-19 to 3.4 to 6.5c/kWh in 2026-27, so the export charge arrives while the export price is already low.
- Low
- High
Source: IPART, Solar feed-in tariffs, read 14 November 2026. The benchmark is a guide only; retailers need not match it.
View the data as a table
| Low | High | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 6.9c | 8.4c |
| 2019-20 | 8.5c | 10.4c |
| 2020-21 | 6.0c | 7.3c |
| 2021-22 | 4.6c | 5.5c |
| 2022-23 | 6.2c | 10.4c |
| 2023-24 | 7.7c | 9.4c |
| 2024-25 | 4.9c | 6.3c |
| 2025-26 | 4.8c | 7.3c |
| 2026-27 | 3.4c | 6.5c |
IPART’s 2026-27 benchmark is 3.4 to 6.5c/kWh, down from 4.8 to 7.3c/kWh in 2025-26.
Is there a video explaining the export tariff?
SA Power Networks publishes a short explainer on its own export tariff; it covers South Australia only, so ignore it if you are in another state.
What to check on your quote and bill
If you are buying a system, ask the installer which network tariff you will be on, whether an export limit is needed, and the expected export in the charge window. Solar Cobber’s directory lists installers by state: New South Wales, South Australia or all installers. Compare quotes on a smart meter: see smart meters and solar. Tariff terms for your address are on your bill.
FAQ
What is the sun tax in Australia?
The sun tax is the nickname for two-way pricing, a network charge on solar exported at midday above a free allowance. It is not a government tax. As at November 2026 it applies on Ausgrid, SA Power Networks and, optionally, Endeavour Energy.
How much is the Ausgrid export charge?
Ausgrid charges retailers 1.23c/kWh on exports between 10am and 3pm above about 200 kWh a month. It also pays 3.85c/kWh for exports between 4pm and 9pm. Retailers decide how to pass these on.
Is the sun tax compulsory?
It depends on the network. Ausgrid has applied it to all eligible residential and small business customers since July 2025, and SA Power Networks since 1 July 2025. Endeavour Energy’s Prosumer tariff is an optional secondary tariff.
How much is the SA Power Networks export tariff?
SA Power Networks charges retailers 1c/kWh for exports between 10am and 4pm above 9 kWh a day on smart meters. It estimates about A$1.50 a month for an average residential customer. Exports from 4pm to 10am are free.
Will I pay the sun tax with a 6.6 kW system?
Probably not much. Our calculation puts it at about A$5 to A$17 a year for a 6.6 kW system exporting 10.4 kWh a day in the charge window. Your figure depends on how much you use at midday and what your retailer passes on.
Does a battery avoid the sun tax?
A battery largely does, because it stores midday solar instead of exporting it. In our calculation a 10 kWh battery cuts a 10 kW system’s Ausgrid charge from about A$47 to about A$3. It can also earn the evening reward if your retailer passes it on.
Does Queensland or Victoria have a sun tax?
We found no compulsory residential export charge in Queensland as at November 2026, though Energex has run a trial, and we did not check each Victorian distributor. See our Queensland and Victoria feed-in tariff guides for detail.
Can I opt out of two-way pricing?
On Ausgrid and SA Power Networks the tariff applies to eligible customers, so opting out is not generally available, and we did not find an opt-out on either page. Ask your retailer about the offers it sells, since it chooses how to bundle the charge.
Sources
- Ausgrid: Two way solar pricing
- Endeavour Energy: Network Price List, Network Tariffs 2026-27
- SA Power Networks: Export tariff
- IPART: Solar feed-in tariffs
- Clean Energy Council, Consumer guide to buying household solar panels, Volume 14 (2011), average daily production table
About this guide
Written by the Solar Cobber editorial team from independent desk research checked in November 2026. Solar Cobber is a free directory that may earn referral or advertising fees from installers; commercial relationships never affect content. This is general information, not financial advice. Corrections are welcome via /contact.
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